Monday, August 25, 2008

Politics As Usual

Once again, the charge of naivete against me has stuck. When I saw that John McCain was going to get the nomination from the Republicans, I hoped and believed that, if Barack Obama got the nod from the Dems we'd see a historic campaign. One in which no mud-slinging would take place, just two gentlemen duking it out on the merits. Boy was I wrong!

IMO, McCain went low first and is continuing to go low often. Not only with low blows but with silliness like the celebrity ads. Then, we have the absolute falseness of the Rezko and the Weather Underground ads. And, the simply mean-spirited "Why didn't he pick Hillary ad?" What have any of these to do with Obama's ability to lead? So, John, you're going to rein in the 527 organizations? I don't think so. You're approving all these messages yourself and appealing to "humor" as an excuse for the celebrity ads.

Obama has been only a little better. But, here's the way I see it. Unfortunately, negative ads work. It's been proven time and time again. We say we don't like them, but somebody falls for them. If Obama does not respond in kind, many will perceive him as "weak" and nobody (not even us so called liberal pinko commies) want a weak president. So, Obama must hit back. So far, I think he's stayed above McCain still at least trying to send out a positive message. But, if McCain continues to gain in the polls, you can bet your last dollar that will change. When McCain made the quip about $5 million makes you rich at Saddleback, he immediately knew he had made a mistake. Can't have a sense of humor in this campaign. I hoped and hoped Obama and his staff would leave this one alone. Come on, show me you're not just like the other guy. But, no. Obama took the bait and has continued to say that John McCain thinks anyone not making $5M a year is not rich. Barack, couldn't you just be human and admit that this was a joke?

Nope, we are not seeing a new type of campaign. It may be slightly better than ones in the past (so far). But I predict, by the end, we'll see Obama right down there in the mud with the Republican attack machine. And that saddens me deeply. I didn't think we'd ever see a serious Black candidate for President in my lifetime. I was wrong about that. Now, I don't think we'll see a campaign that speaks to your own merits, not the (contrived) weaknesses of your opponent. Could I be wrong about that, too? I really don't think so. We (the American people) get what works and dirty campaigning works on us.